Musical instrument



July 29. 1924.

c. McDANlEL EUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 1o, 1921 /2 A LLl mm fn WNW n' n K (MCM-nui Patented July 29, 1924.

CLARENCE MQDNIEL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed June 10, 1921. Serial No. 476,614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that CLARENCE MoDANrnL,

i a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in musical instruments, and has particular reference to an improved banjo construction or other equivalent stringed instrument, the primary object of the invention being to provide a musical instrument of this character with a metallic body wherein a plurality of spaced concentrically disposed rings are provided over which the parchment drum or head of the instrument is adapted to be tautly drawn, the said spaced rings providing an annular resonating chamber in the body of the instrument which is employed to enhance the tonal qualities of the instrument, the said walls being suitably perforated in order that the sound vibrations set up by the body of the instrument may be suitably and properly emitted.

Other objects of the invention reside in the provision of a banjo or the like which will be of rigid and solid construction, and

wherein undue relative movement between adjoining part-s will be precluded; inv providing an improved connection between the neck of the instrument and the body portion thereof, said connection serving to rigidly connect-the said neck with the body portion in such manner. as to eliminate all looseness in the union provided therefor; in providing `a rigid connection between the spaced rings of the body; in forming one ofl said rings to be higher than the other ring, in order that the head of the instrument made by means of conventional stretching devices be drawn ta-utly over the body portion, and in providing wooden frets between said rings and head, which prevent the head from directly contacting with the metallic structure of the rings.

Vith these and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention accordingly consists in the novel features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of part-s, hereinafter to be fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying dra-wing:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a banjo constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the instrument on the plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 3 is a similar view disclosing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the details of the invention, the numeral 1 designates in its entirety a banjo wherein the features of the present invention are embodied. The banjo consists essentially of the usual annular body 2, a neck 3, a parchment head 4, and the usual strings 5. The body 2 is preferably formed from metal, preferably aluminum or an alloy thereof, so as to be light in weight, strong, rigid and yet to possess a high degree of resonance. particularly in F igure'2, that the body includes a pair of concentrically arranged inner and outer rings 6 and 7 respectively, and these rings are united and maintained in spaced relationship by forming the ring 7 with an inwardly directed iange 8, which is threadedly connected as at .9 with the lower port-ion of the ring 6. It will be understood, however, that the rings 6 and 7 may be connected in any other suitable manner, such for example as by winding, the main purpose being to provide a rigid connection between the rings which will prevent relative movement therebetween. vIt will be observed that by the provisionA of said rings, an annular resonatng chamber -10 is formed therebetween, which is in communication with the hollow open interior 11 of the body by means of a plurality of openings 12, which are formed circumferentially in the ring 6. Also the outer ring 7 is suitably apertured as at 13, thus permitting of the free discharge of sound vibrations from within the chamber 10. The construction described in the formation of the body 2 is such as to produce an exceptionally substantial instrument and at the same time to improve generally the tone value of the instrument over prior instruments.

The upper edges of the rings 6 and 7 are provided with substantially V shaped annular grooves 14, in which are wedged or otherwise suitably secured a pair of circular wooden hoops 15, which are provided with curved or rounded upper edges, over It will be noted which the circumferential portions of the parchment head il are passed. The hoops 15 serve to space the parchment head from the metallic st-ructure of the rings and their presence is believed to materially contribute in rendering more melodious the sounds produced by the instrument. To tautly stretch the head in the required manner over the body, the outer ring 7 is provided with an integral annular flange 16. which is suitably apertured at intervals to receive the lower threaded ends of stretching hooks 17. These hooks have their upper ends engaged with a hoop- 1S., and have their lower ends provided with threaded nuts 19, which enable the said hooksv toy be drawn downwardly so that the hoop 18k may exercise its influence upon the enlarged.peripheral portion 2O of the head. It will be manifest that by tighteningA the nuts 19, the said hook 17 will force the hoop 18 downwardly and by reason of the engagement of the peripheral portion 20. of said head with the hoop., it follows that the head will be tautly drawn over the body of the instrument.A The flange 16V is in contrast to the. bracket constructions provided in the ordinary banjo, and is. Abelieved to constitute an improvement thereon, in that the flange may be readily formed with the ring 7, and eliminates the necessity of separately securing brackets to the body of the instrument, as is the c-ase in prior constructions. Also, it will be observed that the in- 11e-ry ring 6 is appreciably higher than the outer ring 7. This. causes the head to be Slightly inclined at its outer circtunferential edge, and produces a construction which enables, the head to. be more tautly drawn than if buty a single ring were tobe employed.

Another important feature in the present invention resides in the construction for uniting the neck 3: of t-he banjo with the body 2.. This is accomplished by providing the neck with the usual integral bar 21 which eX- tends,diametrically through the body of the instrument, the same being received within registering openings 2l" provided in the rings 6 and 7.. Then, to draw the neck tightly against .the outer ring, so as to eliminate undue vibration therebetween, particularly when-the strings 5v are tautly stretched, the Said bar 2l is. provided with a sleeve 22, which is fixed to the bar 2l by meansV of a Screw or an equivalent element 23. The sleeve 22; terminates. adjacent toy the inner ring 6., in enlargements 24, which are pro`r` vided with beveled surfaces 25, the latter in conjunction with the inner walls o-f the ring 6 serving to provide substantially wedge shaped sockets.. Into these sockets wedge devices 2 6. are driven, which when in place serve to force the enlarged end of the neck 3: firmly against the outer wall of the ring 7 thus rendering the neck responsive to the vibrations set up in the body of the instrument. Also, set screws 27 are threaded into the enlargements 24, and engage with the metallic inner wall of the ring 6, and operate in conjunction with the wedge devices for maintaining proper relationship between the neck 3 and the body 2. In certain instances, the flange 16 may be recessed as at 28 to receive the enlarged inner end of the neck 3.

In View of the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a musical instrument of simple, staunch and eliicient construction, and wherein all of the parts thereof cooperate to produce an instrument capable of producing an improved tonal volume, this result being maintained primarily by reason ofthe taut construction of the body 2, and through the instrumentality of the spaced rings 6 and 7. The construction of the instrument is suoli as to admit of economical manufacture and consequent low cost tothe ultimate pui` Chaser. In Figure 3' a slightly modified form of the invention is illustrated in which the banjo is formed to provide a double head construction. As shown, in this forni of the invention there is provided a body 30, including annular concentric inner and outer rings 3l and 32 respectively. In this in stance, the outer ring 32 is higher than the innerring, and each ring carries a head 33, which is suitably connected thereto by means of the stretching hooks 34. It will be observed that the hooks 34 employed in con necting the inner head with the ring 3l pass through a flange 35- piovid'ed upon the inner head. for connection with the outer ring 32. Bridge piece 3.7 is situated between the said heads. and operates to effect uniform vibration of said heads. Y

laVhat is claimed is:

l. A musical instrument comprising a body, includinga pair of concentrically arranged inner and outer rings, a flangepuniting the lower edges.V of said rings, a second flange projecting from said outer ring, a head tautly drawn across the upper edges of each of saidV rings, and fastening devices associated' with 'said flange for effecting the stretching of said hea-di.

2'. A musical instrument comprising a body portion, composed of a pair of concen-V trically disposed inner andi outer rings, a flange uniting the lower edges of: said rings,

a second flangeV projecting from said outer ring, a head arranged to be tautly connectedA with each of said rin-gs, fastening devices cooperative with said flanges' for stretching said head, and a bridge device situated be tween said heads. j

In testimony where-of'I affix my signature.v

CLARENCE MGDANIEL.

This. flange is also threaded as at 36 

